Surgery - TURP for Chronic Prostatitis

What Is a TURP?

TURP stands for transurethral resection of the prostate. This is a surgical procedure that removes parts of the prostate gland via the urethra. A TURP procedure for chronic prostatitis is seen as a last resort treatment alternative for unresponsive chronic bacterial prostatitis or infected prostate stones (prostatic calculi).

When you get repeat urinary tract infections that have not responded to long-term antibiotic treatment and causes, your doctor may make a case for a TURP surgery for prostatitis to remove part of your prostate. Keep in mind that surgery is extremely unlikely to cure your infection, and it may even make your symptoms worse. This TURP surgical procedure can also cause side-effects such as erectile dysfunction and/or urinary incontinence.

A "TURP" surgery is usually performed for men with enlarged prostates, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Such patients have chronic urinary retention that has not responded to other less-invasive treatments. TURP has been used as the main operation for urinary problems due to BPH for decades but due to other treatment options becoming available, it is not performed as often as it used to be.

What Does the TURP Procedure (surgery) Involve?

A TURP is a relatively serious operation that is done in hospital usually under anaesthesia where the doctor will remove part of the prostate gland through the urethra. To do this, the doctor will move a long, thin metal tube through the urethra toward the prostate gland in order to see the prostate. The operation is achieved through instruments that are passed down this tube, primarily a tool electrified by current or a laser which cuts and removes problem prostate tissue. Removing this excess tissue allows urine to pass more easily.

The operation is usually completed in an hour with you staying in hospital for one to three nights. The surgeon will leave a catheter in place to allow blood and urine to drain while the area heals. There are no surgical incisions, and you should be able to resume normal activities quickly. You need to avoid rigorous exercise for several weeks.

What Are the Side Effects of a TURP for Prostatitis?

There can be serious side-effects of undergoing a TURPs operation for prostatitis, and some may take up to several months to recover. Side effects may include bleeding, impotence, infection and incontinence, which can initially affect your quality of life. Another side-effect is retrograde ejaculation where semen in ejaculation instead goes into the bladder, and is expelled with urine.

It is possible that your surgeon may miss operating on exactly what is causing your symptoms and that surgery is unlikely to cure your infection, indeed a TURPs can even make your symptoms worse. There are cases in which men have undergone a TURPs for their enlarged prostate and have ended up with (another, extra) infection from the operation.

Please Note!A TURPs is a serious operation. Many men who undergo a TURPs are not made sufficiently aware of the potential consequences and side effects explained to them by their Urologist. These side-effects can include incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Therefore a TURPs should be considered as a last resort after all other treatment options have been explored, including and especially, direct injections of the prostate. Make sure you question your Urologist thoroughly as to why he/she is offering a TURP as a treatment option and what other procedures are available for your condition.

Here is an excerpt from Dr Daniel Shokes, who is a very well-known and experienced Urologist in Cleveland